Sunrunner's Fire
by Xiaahandrus
Summary: DISCONTINUED The story of Tyrin Drachen and her long, dangerous, and painful journey through the Shinobi world. Possibly will become a love story, but for now it's merely adventure.
1. Better Times

**Sunrunner's Fire Chapter One Better Times**

Main Character

Name- Tyrin Drachen

Nicknames(Current, Past, and Future)- Ty, Sunrunner, She-Wolf, Dragoness, Lioness

Gender- Female

Current Age- This is Ty'e life story so I'll be post the age each chapter.

Physical Description(This is how Ty will look when she's 17, but every thing besides her height) - Ty is fairly tall for a girl at 5'10" though although she does weight quite a bit more than what she looks, Ty maintains a surprisingly thin, neat figure. Her greater weight despite her size comes from the simple fact that muscle weighs more than fat and Ty has a lot of muscle. So don't let her graceful, willowy appearance fool you, she is more than able to do her share of butt kicking. Her raven black hair falls to her shoulders(It's longer in some chapters than others. Hair grows) and bang frequently fall into her eyes that are so dark brown that they appear black. Tyrin spends a great deal of time out doors and therefore has very tanned skin that has a rich, bronze tone to it. This tone is interrupted by lighter scar tissue on Ty's fore arms and knees that bear many small scars from falling down and fights. Besides the scars, Ty was born with a series of tattoos that showed which of the chakra beasts her father sealed within her. The first is the serpentine image of a black eastern(think Chinese) dragon that wraps around her right fore arm three times that represents the wicked black dragon of the west, Torack. The next is on the inside of her left wrist, it is a phoenix roughly the size of a quarter that appears in shades of blue, purple, and red. On either side of the phoenix on the sides of Ty's wrist are gold edged triangles that signify the bow that is Zinar's gift to Tyrin. The next tattoo is a jade green dragon that appears wrapping around Ty's left ankle twice, it is the mark of the green forest guardian dragon Wrynstra. For some reason, the wolf Ameratsau did not gift her human with any visible markings...

Clothing- What Ty wears depends on what she's doing. When she's running in the surrounding rocky, lake marked forest around her father's laboratory tower, Tyrin's barefoot in knee length black pants and a dark blue tank top over a lighter blue T-shirt.

As the mysterious Sunrunner, Tyrin dress in a form fitting black suit with white armor plates on the tops of her shoulders, between her shoulder and elbow, thighs, on her back on her shoulder blades, and a single plate on her chest over her heart. Along with all of that the Sunrunner wears heavy brown leather gloves that also protect her forearms and similar ninja-like sandals that also protect her shins. Her most remarkable piece of clothing is the white mask with crimson around the eye holes with a stripe running vertical from the eye rings to the edges of the mask with a gold diamond in the center of the mask.

All of the above may and probably will change. So I'll get on to the story so you can get to know the character. This chapter(And probably the next few) are mostly scenes from the past. Ty is roughly 5 in this chapter

"Hurry up Ty!" A young boy with shaggy black hair and vivid green eyes called back to a girl that was obviously his twin sister. The boy grinned and turning back to face the trail the two of them had been climbing found himself face to face with Tyrin.

"Me hurry up? Ha! You hurry up Taokishi!" The girl joked grinning before offering Tao a hand to help him over the next rock. The boy shook his head and took her hand to allow her pull him up, glancing at the bandage she wore to cover up the dragon tattoo on her arm.

"I still don't understand why you where that" Tao commented pointing at the bandage with a frown. Ty rolled her eyes, _You never understand anything._

"It makes me nervous. I feel like it's going to eat me" Ty answered as she sat down on the rock to catch her breathe with Tao beside her as the two looked out over the breathe-takingly beautiful landscape of the northern fire country.

"But the others don't make you nervous" Tao responded with interest as he sat down beside her.

"I know, but it... It just feels wrong... Evil might be a better word for it. I don't know how to explain it to you" Tyrin sighed closing her eyes and leaning back against another rock in frustration.

"Don't worry about it" Tao answered looking up and sighing, "We'd better hurry home before we get in trouble" They both stand and start climbing.

Tyrin was definitely the more agile and faster of the two but Taokishi was definitely stronger, able to give Ty boost and pull her up when necessary.

"What have you two been up to this time?" An amused voice asked, causing the two to look up at the good natured, smiling face of their older half brother. Instead of black his hair was almost red in color and his eyes were a gentle sky blue.

"We went 'sporling Jiro!" Ty supplied grinning at her brother as he helped the two over the last big rock.

"We saw a baby deer! I almost got to touch it!" Tao put in excitedly. There was nothing like a little kid's wonder or excitement.

"That's great!" Jiro replied beaming at his younger siblings and standing up, ajusting his new head band stamped with the sign of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, "But now we need to get back before Father sets any thing loose"

Both raven haired children nodded furiously and took off at a dead run for the massive white stone tower rising up out of the trees. Jiro fallowed behind, but his sharp blue eyes were on the look out for any thing that might cause the twins harm. The three made it to the tower just as the massive iron doors began to swing shut. A balding man with dark brown hair streaked with silver glared at them with fierce hazel eyes and licked his lips in irritation, "You cut it a little close. I had to send Jiro after you."

"Sorry father" The twins apologized in unison to their bare feet and the stone floor of the first floor. Jiro put a comforting hand on each twin's shoulder and smiled up at their father, "They would have made it without me father. I think they should both go for ninja when school starts again."

The scientist that was the trio's father hadn't missed the emphasis on 'both,' but that didn't mean he liked it. His eyes narrowed as they met his eldest son's, but he knew that Jiro was right. Although his daughter had for sure bonded with the evil black dragon of the west, Torak and the green forest dragoness Wrynstra, he needed to know which one of them had bonded with the Five Tailed Bull. The other would either have to be bound and made to serve the other or killed.

Jiro saw his father's relenting and gave an inner sigh of relief, at least they wouldn't be punished. The elderly man nodded his agreement and turned to descend the stairs back into the basement laboratory.

"Go eat supper and then to bed with you both" Jiro told the pair who each gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before going up to the next floor to the dining chamber. The ninja smiled until the two were out of sight then he frown and closed his eyes in frustration.

They were being given an easier time growing up only because of Jiro's standing threat to his father that he would disappear with them both if their father happened to treat them like he treated him. Jiro's back still gave him trouble from the whip scars, but unlike one of his younger half siblings he didn't have a tailed beast sealed inside.

Although completely unknown to Jiro was that five beasts had been sealed within the Twins' mother. All five had chosen one twin or the other to reside within and was sealed as such. Tyrin it was already known contained both dragons and one of them would put her on the same level as a tailed beast, but with both dragons at her command she would be unstoppable... If she learned to control them.


	2. The Academy

**Sunrunner's Fire Chapter Two The Academy**

Tyrin and Taokishi are still five in this chapter as well. This takes place roughly a week after Chapter One

Tyrin and Taokishi had both set out early for the Village Hidden in the Leaves to begin their first day at the ninja Academy. Jiro was escorting them, just in case their father thought to try to hinder either one of them.

The trio had just arrived at the Academy and stood outside in front of the building with parents and the other children who would be enrolling that day. There was quite a crowd and the twins both stared around with wide eyes curiously since neither had ever been away from the Tower before.

"Alright you two. I have to get going and meet my team for a mission. The Senseis will show you where to go. Make some friends and have fun" Jiro told the twins as he ruffled their raven black hair once before turning and teleporting away.

Ty and Tao exchanged looks but didn't make any move to mingle with the other kids. The parents were keeping their children a fair distance away, they knew the twins' father and didn't trust them any more than they trusted their father.

"Why do you suppose they don't want to be around us Ty?" Tao asked in a low, whispering voice.

_Because our father is a monster who has a tendency to send his minion monsters after people he doesn't like_ Ty didn't say, before answering aloud in a complete lie, "Dunno. Maybe 'cause they don't know much about us. We've never been to the village before."

Tao accepted that, he didn't see their father like Tyrin did. Ty didn't trust her father or even like him for that matter. He was so... _distant_. Never even bothering to really get to know his two younger children.

Tyrin and Taokishi were a bit of an oddity any way, even by their father's standards. Their mother, who had died having them due to having five beasts with massive amounts of chakra sealed within her body and thus into her unborn twins. Tyrin had been chosen by both dragons, but the Five Tailed Bull, Ameratsau the Queen of Wolves, Snow, and Ice, and Zinar Prince of the Phoenixes had yet to show themselves.

There was a shift in people to make way for another pair of parents and their son whose hair and eyes were every bit as dark as Ty and Tao's own. He caught sight of the pair standing off alone and stopped to stare at them some what quizzily. Had all three of them been standing alongside one another they could have been mistaken for triplets.

"Who's that ya think?" Tao whispered to his sister as he moved so he stood slightly behind his sister to eye the newcomer.

_How in the world would I know?_ Ty thought grouchily before actually answering, though unlike her brother she made eye contact and kept it, "No idea. Maybe he thinks you look funny."

He voice was playful and Tao looked at her angrily before catching the grin she showed only to him that said she was joking. Tao grinned back and elbowed her in the side playfully, "You sure he wasn't looking at you? You're the different one here after all."

Ty giggled softly and opened to reply when a man in a Jounin vest appeared. He was obviously to be their sensei as he smiled warmly at the attending parents and future students.

"Welcome every one!" He greeted every one, "I am Gambit Hoshi and I am to be your teacher until you graduate. Students will you please fallow me to your new classroom?" Gambit asked before turning and walking into the building. The students fallowed, Tyrin taking care to make sure that she and Tao were neither first nor last, but some where in the middle.

When they entered the room Ty grabbed Tao's hand and towed him to the very back of the room and took the seat by the window. Tao sat beside her with a slightly confused expression on his face as he watched Tyrin.

Ty on the other hand watched her classmates intently as they entered the room. She acknowledged the other raven haired boy who took a seat in front of her and dismissed him after a moment to return to watching her new classmates.

"You two don't live in the village" The boy in front of Tyrin said, causing her to look at him. It hadn't been a question but shook her head and answered any way.

"No. This is our first time in the village" Ty replied some what shyly. The boy was the first person in the village to speak to them so far.

"What are your names?" He asked after a moment's pause.

"I'm Tyrin Drachen. Ty" She answered with emphasis on her nickname as her brother introduced himself, "I'm Taokishi Drachen, Ty's twin if you couldn't tell. Call me Tao for short" Her twin grinned.

"What's your name?" Ty asked after a moment's pause when the boy didn't answer.

"Itachi Uchiha" He replied. Ty blinked, _Ah. The famous Uchiha prodigy. Jiro mentioned him before._

"Nice to meet you" Ty replied with a slight grin as Gambit Sensei walked in and shut the door. He looked over the class with a brooding, experienced eye and had to do a double take at the three raven haired, black eyed children sitting at the back of the room talking.

He checked the list of students on his desk, _Tyrin, Taokishi, and Itachi. They look so much alike... I know it's impossible for them to be related, yet they look like triplets..._


	3. Imprisionment

**Sunrunner's Fire ~ Chapter Three ~ Imprisonment**

~Three years after Academy. They are now eight years old~

The form of Taokishi hit the ground hard with a grunt. He lay there for a moment, catching his breathe before propping himself up on one elbow to glare fiercely at his sister.

Ty stood grinning down at him before offering a hand up. She always did that, always offered to help him up after beating him down into the ground. Tao still didn't think it was fair that _she_ got all the power she had while he got nothing.

Tao actually growled at her this time and shoved her hand aside, at the same time he surged upward and delivered one punch squarely on Ty's chin. She hadn't expected that and flew backwards to land hard on her back.

Instead of stopping as Ty would have Tao fallowed Ty's flight and began kicking her in the ribs. A cry of pain escaped her lips as she instinctively brought her arms down to shield her already bruised ribs.

A hand grabbed her throat and lifted her up to hurl her partly limp body into a nearby tree. Ty gasped as the breathe was knocked out of her and she fell back to the ground on hands and knees coughing as she tried to breathe.

Tao gathered himself up and prepared to charge again when a figure appeared in front of him. Tao skidded to a stop to look up at the dangerously angry light blue eyes of his older brother Jiro. He had nearly stopped when Jiro slammed a fist into Tao's face, sending him flying backwards.

"What is the matter with you Taokishi? Are you trying to hurt Tyrin?" Jiro demanded, his voice dangerously soft. Tao stared fear in his eyes though it was quickly overcome by anger as he stood up, rubbing the cheek Jiro had hit.

"Yes. Yes I was. I'm tired of her beating me, she needed to feel how I feel for once" Tao snapped, a reddish tinge appearing in the depts of his deep chocolate eyes as he offered a grin that was any thing but friendly, "Wait until I tell father about this Jiro. You're going to be sorry!"

With that Tao vanished with more speed that he typically did. Jiro knew who had the Tailed Beast sealed within them now and the realization scared him. He remained frozen for several long moments when a hand on his shoulder brought him back from his thoughts.

"You should have let him beat me. We'll both be sorry now" Ty told him. She wasn't stupid, even before Jiro had told her of their father's experiments on the three of them she had known a great deal of what went on in her father's laboratory. She had even referred to it as the 'Monster Factory' within Jiro's hearing.

"I'm sorry" Jiro answered, closing his eyes and bowing his head. A ring of pressure around his middle startled him slightly, Ty didn't lightly touch any one unless she was fighting, so a hug was a surprise for Jiro. Her face remained pressed against his back for several long moments before she released him.

Moving up beside him Ty offered a weak smile that didn't fool Jiro one little bit. Tyrin almost never showed fear and on the rare occasioned it appeared on her features it was unmistakable, "It will be alright. Things always turn around one way or the other."

Jiro didn't smile back and his eyes were sad. He knew what waited for Ty when they returned home. As well as what fate awaited him.

Tao hesitated at the top of the stairs leading down to his father's laboratory. Despite the fact that his father favored him over Tyrin and Jiro, Tao was still afraid of his father.

"Are you going to stand there or come down Taokishi?" A dry, amused voice asked from seemingly thin air that was, in fact several cleverly hidden speakers.

Tao jumped visibly before descending the stairs mutely into his father's lab. The lab was very typical mad scientist lair, complete with a set of cells along one wall with a hallway leading back to more.

A protective mask concealed his father's features, though it was obvious that he was looking at Tao. Although he did his best not to show it outwardly Tao was nervous, he bowed respectfully to his father before speaking, "Father, Tyrin and I were sparring and when I was winning. Jiro appeared and hit me, saying was I pushing Tyrin to fast. He drove me away and I came straight to tell you."

The man was silent for a long moment and for a moment Tao was afraid his father wasn't going to believe him. Then... "Go back to the village. Tell them Tyrin and Jiro had an accident and will not be returning. _Now_"

Tao left. He went straight out the door and left for the Leaf Village. If his father was angry there was no telling what would happen...

_Oh well_ Tao grinned to himself, _Tyrin and Jiro will get what's coming to them..._

Tyrin and Jiro arrived moments after Tao had left. Both exchanged a look before entering the 'White Tower of Death' as it was called in the village. They had barely gotten a foot in the door when they were seized by the guards their father had created.

The guards could most easily be described as minotaurs with their overly muscular, human-like bodies and bullish heads. Both Ty and Jiro struggled in the minotaurs' grips, but were unsuccessful in freeing themselves as they were dragged down the stairs into the lab.

The two were then separated with Tyrin being drug back to a dark cell located at nearly the end of the hall way. Just before she was thrown in, her father's pale, spider handed assistant snapped a silver collar around her neck and leered at her, "That keeps you from being able to build up any chakra or using any of the kekkei genkei the Master might have given you. Have fun experimenting!"

With that the minotaur hurled Ty into the cell and slammed the door. She hit the back wall and slid down with a soft grunt of pain, the walls were stone and those minotaurs had a mean throw... Rubbing the back of her head Ty growled angrily and reached for the chakra that had always come at her call.

Pain ripped through her body with the force of a lightening strike as the collar reacted. It sent the chakra back at her in the form of electricity that attacked her nerves. Ty opened her mouth in a soundless cry of pain as she fell to the floor.

_No... Chakra... Wyrnstra..._Ty tried to call out to the presence that had been with her in her mind since birth and there was no reply. Not even the evil black dragon Torak made so much as a peep.

"No..." Ty whispered and pulled up her left pants leg. The familiar green dragon that had always been there was gone... _Sealed_.

Ty corrected herself. She was powerless, unable to do a thing to save herself... A scream of pain in a painfully familiar voice interrupted her thoughts, but was quickly cut off.

_Oh Jiro. I'm so sorry brother_Ty thought silently as tears ran down her cheeks as Tyrin cried for the first time in a very long time. Ty cried until she fell asleep.

Tao stopped just outside the Village and put a hand to his ear as new orders from his father came in, _"I have a change in plans my son. Tell them that Jiro was killed in a lab accident and that Tyrin has been drained of her chakra by another accident"_ A dry chuckled was given before the voice continued, _"We don't need an investigation and if they are both dead they might see though my act."_

Tao didn't reply simply because there was no mic for him to speak into. His father didn't like his orders being questioned. Tao then continued into the village, he now felt bad for the pain he had inflicted on the two people who cared for him, but the feel of victory that he would finally be better at some thing that Tyrin outweighed the feeling.


	4. A Short Leash

**Sunrunner's Fire ~ Chapter Four ~ A Short Leash**

~One month after Chapter Three~

The cell was cold, damp, and _things_ skittered in the corners and in the rotting straw that Ty had to sleep on. In truth it wasn't much better than the bare stone floor.

Ty sat leaning against the wall in the corner staring at the floor, or what she could see since there was almost no light in her prison. Her elbows rested on her knees with her hands partly clasped together in front of her.

As she stared at the floor some thing slithered across her foot, but that had happened so frequently in the past month that Ty didn't even twitch. Not even when whatever it was hissed and nipped her leg hard enough to draw blood. Tyrin's mind was far away from her body, her vacant, half shut, dull brown eyes revealed that all to clearly.

Brisk foot steps caused those eyes to blink and her body stiffened ever so slightly, but she knew it would be pointless for her to attempt escape. An eight-year-old stripped of weapons and chakra was little threat and no match for her father's body guards.

The door swung open and a square of light from an oil fueled lantern fell on the shoeless raven haired girl dressed in dirty, torn clothes. Ty gave herself a moment to adjust to the rush of light before looking up at her father's slime ball of an assistant who leered at her as he always did, "Get up and come here. Do not attempt to attack any one or escape."

Ty stood, moving with slow deliberate steps towards the smelly man. Hate and anger ready to break into rage buzzed in her veins, never had Tyrin felt such anger, even when Torak had control of her body and mind Ty hadn't felt such... bloodlust.

Ty couldn't think of a better word to describe the way she now felt towards this man for the things he made her do. She wanted to rip his heart from his chest and eat it and would if she was given the chance. Having two dragons whispering in her mind, especially an evil, bloodthirsty one had given her a more beastal outlook on things.

"Now fallow me to your father's lab. Do not make a fuss. Do not speak. Do not attempt to run away or attack me or any one else in any form" He ordered and turned on his heel to walk away. Tyrin fallowed. That was the other thing about the cursed collar that now resided around her neck. The person who held the key to it could give her any order he desired and she had to obey or the collar would shock her with her own chakra.

_Like a dog with one of those shock collars_ Tyrin thought not for the first time or the last. The Keyholder, as Ty now thought of whoever held the key at the time could also will the collar to shock her if they wished. It made life very painful for Ty as that was her father's favorite form of punishment for her as reminder to always let Tao win their sparring matches.

_Tao..._ Red flickered at the edges of Ty's vision in response to the rage that washed over her briefly. The two of them still sparred, while her father watched to make sure he won.

_Even if I die in the process I will kill Tao for this_ Tyrin vowed silently. Very slowly and very painfully.

Tyrin fallowed her father's wormling into his lab, then through the lab into the great library. Ty had spent many a days as a child in this once comforting room absorbing knowledge one book at a time.

Now was a different story. The vast library was now where her father gave her orders, most of which she didn't like. Now her father was waiting for him, a silver collar much like the one she already wore in one hand, the key that went to it in the other.

"So good to see you Tyrin. I have a new collar for you. This one is different though. Instead of not being able to use any chakra you will now be able to use what would have been yours alone..." That didn't sound so bad, Ty had a lot of chakra to begin with, "...And your brother will hold the key. Here are your orders from me that you will still obey even when Taokishi is your master: You cannot tell any one what the collar is and may not even hint it to others. Understood?" He asked after placing the new collar around Ty's neck and removing the old one.

"Yes sir" Ty responded, looking at the floor. She never called him 'father' any more. She had a short leash now, but a little was better than none.

"Good. Tao already has the key. You may go" Ty went.

The wormling didn't fallow her as Ty made her way up the stairs to her room. Removing her clothes Ty entered the bathroom and turned on the hot water, she would be returning to the village after her 'illness,' 'accident,' or whatever her father had made up was deemed well.

The hot water poured over her for a time as thoughts tumbled like a waterfall through Ty's head. She needed help, but who was there for her to go to?

_No one. You're on your own Tyrin. Get used to it. Every one you depend on will always let you done_ Ty told herself as tears mingled with the water. Alone.

After she was finished crying for what she vowed was the last time Ty stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. Drying herself off she walked out of the bathroom directly into her room and donned clean pjs.

Looking at a picture on her dresser that held her, Tao, and Jiro all smiling at the camera Ty sighed. Reaching up she picked up the picture and dropped in her trash can.

Turning to her bed she dropped onto it's comforting softness and warmth she hadn't felt in over a month. Closing her eyes a single tear trailed down her cheek before Ty fell asleep.


	5. Attacked

**Sunrunner's Fire ~ Chapter Five ~ Attacked**

Ty stirred sleepily the next morning. Blinking slowly she sighed as she recalled the previous day's evens. She had some freedom now at least... But at a cost she didn't find worth it.

_Jiro... Brother. I would trade my soul and all my power to have you back_ Ty thought as she squeezed her eyes shut and curled up on her bed. Not only had she lost her brother, but the chakra beasts her father had sealed within her.

They were family too.

The sudden urge to get out and roam finally got the best of Ty as she threw off her blankets. Moving swiftly and silently to her clothes chest she pulled out a pair of knee length shorts and a tank top along with underwear. Dressed Ty opened her window and jumped.

The fall lasted for nearly eight stories although Ty forced chakra into her feet to cushion her landing. Then she was off running through the surrounding forest, heading for the one place she hadn't ever shown to any one.

Even Jiro and Taokishi.

It took Ty nearly thirty minutes of running to reach her destination: A cave entrance. Ty paused in the trees just out of sight of the cave and closed her eyes as she used her other senses to check to see if she had been fallowed. A sigh of relief was issued as Ty opened her eyes. She had the forest to herself.

Jumping from her tree she entered the cave and slowed to a walk. The cool air was comforting and Ty felt herself relaxing as she walked along through the growing darkness. She walked along for perhaps five minutes before re-emerging into what appeared to be a hole in the middle of solid rock.

Trees and grass even grew in the rock clearing, clustered around a small pond with crystal clear water. Ty sighed and closed her eyes as she jumped into a low branch in the tree and let her feet dangle over the water.

Relaxed. Peace. Quiet. Solitude. Ty sighed again as the corners of her lips curled up in a smile.

Completely unknown to Ty was the fact that she had been fallowed. Stalked might be a better word. As her follower wasn't human.

A feline who heavily resembled a mountain lion crouched in the shadows, slowly making her way forward. Silently she climbed the tree next to the relaxing human. The feline made her way to a branch that was high enough that she could drop down on the unsuspecting Tyrin.

And did.

The feline gave a fierce snarl as she dropped, causing Tyrin to jerk out of her relaxing state and react. Barely. The feline didn't get the grip she wanted, but instead managed to sink her claws into the top of Tyrin's right shoulder.

Ty jerked away with a cry of pain as the feline's claws stayed in a ripped diagonally down Ty's back to exit just above Ty's left knee as she kicked off of the branch. The feline managed to pull herself onto the branch in Ty's place and snarled as the human girl jumped into the small pond, disappearing in a splash of water.

The feline remained on the branch for a long moment growling while glaring at the shadow Tyrin formed in the water as she sank. She snarled after a moment before turning to leap away and disappear into one of the many caves surrounding the rock clearing.

Ty let herself sink to the bottom of the pond staring up at the light on the surface of the water. The water numbed the pain that would eventually wake for the moment, _It would be so easy... So easy not to swim back up. Just to sink into oblivion and to never worry about Tao, father, or any thing any more..._

Ty thought as she settled onto the bottom of the pond, watching bubbles trail to the surface, _But I can't!_

Ty inhaled water as she kicked off from the bottom and surged towards the surface, _I can't let Jiro down! I refuse to roll over and play dead just because some one says I should!_

Anger gave her strength as Ty broke the surface and gasped. Swimming to the shore she coughed up the water she had swallowed violently. Instantly her back roared with pain, causing Ty to gasp.

She had to get back. Had to get to the hospital floor in the Tower...

In a daze, almost on autopilot Tyrin got up and took off at a dead run. She made it back to the Tower in half the time it had taken her to get to the pond. Breathing heavily with her back soaked though with her own blood she some how made it up the three flights of stair and staggered into the infirmary to a series of gasps.

"H-He-Help... Please" Ty stuttered then breathed out the last as she collapsed in the door way. Strong hands lifted her and she felt healing chakra going to work on her back.

_Wrynstra... If only... If only you were here. Healing this would be a piece of cake for you_ Tyrin thought as she began to drift in and out of consciousness.

"It's no use. I can't heal them any more than half way..." Ty heard one of the medics saying.

"They must be from one of the Master's rogue beasts then" Another replied with disdain heavy in her voice.

"Hush!" A third snapped with authority, "Then half is all she'll be healed. Our Tyrin's a tough one. She'll manage. Take her to her room and get the mess she made cleaned up. At least she'll have an excuse when she goes back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

Murmurs answered as Ty faded completely from consciousness.

_I'm sorry..._


	6. Return to Konoha & Meeting the Lioness

**Sunrunner's Fire ~ Chapter Six ~ Return to Konoha and Meeting the Lioness**

Ty paced in a circle around her new one room apartment in Konoha. Would Tao come after her and make her come back?

"I never thought I'd see Tyrin Drachen be scared enough to pace her room" A dry voice commented form her window. Ty jumped and hurled a kunai without even thinking or waiting to see who it was. Itachi caught it with ease and sighed, frowning at Ty as he lowered the weapon from face level.

Tyrin, realizing who it was, sagged with obvious relief as she sat down hard, cross legged on the floor, "Sorry Itachi. I'm worried that Taokishi will make me move back in with him once he gets back from his mission and I plan on having as little contact with my family as possible from now on."

"It has to do with what happened while you were away for the month" It wasn't a question, but Ty answered any way.

"Yes, unfortunately due to this..." She gestured to the collar around her neck and almost sighed in relief when it didn't shock her, "I can't tell you much. It stops it, I'm surprised it didn't stop me from saying that. Taokishi has the key, it gives me a... Very short leash."

Itachi blinked, but said nothing as Tyrin glared at a shadow in the corner of her room. The Uchiha had never seen her quit like this, she was extremely angry, yet didn't want to show it and afraid. Fear wasn't an emotion he'd ever seen in Tyrin, which meant whatever happened had been fairly bad. Ty wasn't scared of much.

"I need to get back to the compound" Itachi finally stated setting the kunai down on the window sill and swinging around to drop out of sight with a raised hand of fare well. Ty sighed, she had expected nothing more, he wasn't the talkative type.

He'd graduated the Academy last year and from what Ty had heard, he had activated his clan's kekkei genkei, the Sharingan. Sighing again Ty slid down until she laid spread out on her stomach on the floor.

_Why does life have to be so complicated? Why couldn't I be normal like every body else? _Ty questioned herself as she closed her eyes.

_"Normal? Ha. Little girl, you and I are both results of the Lord of White Tower of Death's experiments"_ Tyrin's eyes snapped open. Some thing had felt different ever since that feline of her father's had ripped her back open.

_Who are you?_ Ty directed her thoughts inward towards the feline who was apparently female from the tone of her voice, _And how and why are you here?_

_"I am the Lioness. Like those pesky beasts already in here I was sealed when I clawed your back. I didn't do it on purpose, but you're stuck with me now. Also like those four beasties of yours I can lend you my chakra, but unlike them that slave collar around your neck doesn't block me"_ The Lioness chuckled in Ty's head, which sounded like a cross between a growl and a purr. It was a bit unnerving, but nothing compared to Torak's voice or worse, his laugh.

_Alright, but since this is __my__ body __I'm__ in charge_ Tyrin told the Lioness firmly in her mind. Sitting up she braced for the pain that had been coming from the claw marks on her back, but paused when she realized that she didn't feel pain. Ty reached up over her right shoulder to rub the top of her shoulder under her shirt. The claw marks were still there, but didn't hurt.

_"Of course you're in charge. I don't know enough about your stupid human customs to pass off as you. Oh and those markings I gave you won't hurt any more either "_ The Lioness remarked. Ty sent acknowledgement and stretched, happy that her back wasn't paining her for the first time in over a month, but paused as a new thought occurred to her.

_Why haven't you spoke up sooner?_ Ty demanded suspiciously as she tensed, both physically and mentally. At the same time she proceeded to her window and pick up the kunai there to replace in the pouch taped to her leg and stood up on the window sill to reach up to grab the edge of the roof.

_"I wasn't strong enough to establish a link yet, plus I had to learn your speech from your mind. I also want to apologize for scarring you as I did, I did not have the intelligence I have learned from you then. To further my apology you may summon me to help you whenever you wish"_ The Lioness replied as Ty sung herself up onto the flat rooftop and laid back on her back to look at the clouds drifting overhead(Yeah, reminds me of Shikamaru too).

_Thank you_ Tyrin finally thought as she watched the clouds. Acknowledgement came in reply as the presence of the Lioness faded to a distant corner of Ty's mind though she could feel her looking though memories and such. Ty sat up suddenly, as her mind whirled with new thoughts. Would she have enough to surprise and overpower Tao now with the Lioness's help?

_"No. Even with our combined strengths the Five Tailed Bull is still stronger than we"_ The Lioness answered absently before going back to sorting though memories. Ty sighed and leaned back again with fingers laced together behind her head, there had to be a way... _I have friends, Itachi would be strong enough to help..._

_"But he won't. He minds his own business. He is like a cat. One that I am very glad that you know"_ The Lioness imputed again, just like an annoying subconcious. She was worse that the other four in her own way, _"Of course I am dear. I'm a feline, we are royalty in our own right. We have the right to be bossy."_

Tyrin closed her eyes in annoyance before opening them, it would be dark in a couple hours and Taokishi wouldn't be back from his mission by tomorrow at the earliest. Ty might as well get some training in and put the Lioness to work. Grinning Ty took off over the rooftops toward the surrounding trees to train. The Lioness seemed eager to do some thing beside sit around worrying as well. All in all, it was a good day to be back in Konaha...

Although neither of them noticed they were being fallowed...


	7. Training

**Sunrunner's Fire ~ Chapter Seven ~ Training**

_So am I just to call you Lioness?_ Tyrin asked the newest member to her psycho psychological family. To Ty the name Lioness should probably belong to her since she was the one who would be pulling the strings so to speak.

_"I suppose so since I do not have a name. Your father didn't ever see fit to give any of Us one. I am free from under his power now, I borrowed some of yours to free myself. I have new tricks now as well"_ She sounded highly smug and was. Tyrin could only be envious of her new summon, Ty herself was still prisoner to the collar around her neck.

Tyrin didn't reply as she stopped at the base of a waterfall a short distance from the village(FYI- I'm using the one Jiraiya trained Naruto at). It was already deserted at the early hour, the good little girls had already gone home to their families and the bad girls wouldn't be out until several hours after full dark. Meaning Ty had the falls all to herself.

Sighing with happiness Tyrin dragged her sleeveless shirt over her head and dropped it on a rock. Her Capri(the ones cut off below the knees) pants fallowed. Ty stood there a moment in nothing but leggings(Like Sakura wears) and an under shirt that left the majority of her back visible, visible to a pair of Sharingan eyes that widened every so slightly.

Itachi Uchiha stared at the half healed marks partly visible on Tyrin's back that began at almost the top of her right shoulder and stretched dianglely to her left hip to disappear into her leggings to reappear below her shorts just behind her left knee.

_She is much stronger that she's letting people onto,_ The Uchiha's eyes narrowed at Tyrin as she stepped onto the water.

Ty forced her chakra into her feet as she walked on the water with a feline's silent, graceful steps. She paused, glancing around with a hunter's wariness. Her eyes passed over the hidden Itachi without seeing him and she relaxed with a sigh as she turned to the falls.

_Ready?_ Ty asked, directing the question inward.

_"Ready"_ The Lioness's silky voice purred smugly as she sent her chakra to Ty.

The air around Ty wiggled as in a heat wave as waves of chakra spiraled upwards from where she stood. She bowed her head with concentration as her hands dropped to her sides with spread fingers.

Suddenly she swept her hands across her body to the opposite sides, the water before her sweeping away the same direction as her hands. Then she swept her hands back to their rightful sides and up with the water fallowing in the form of jets of water that crashed onto the nearby rocks with a sound not unlike thunder.

A smirk played on Ty's lips as she inhaled and brought her hands behind her, then up above her head in a sweeping motion that looked like she were pushing some thing. The great falls shivered a moment before their flow was momentarily pushed up and held stationary. The water collected there for perhaps thirty seconds as Ty's arms began to tremble with the effort of holding the water. Finally she released it and down it came with a roar of vengeance.

Ty smirked again and stepped forward and brought her hands together in front of her as if she were clapping. Just as the water was about to over take her she spread her hands in a sharp motion and the water parted before her, going around her.

The waters were a bit more turbulent than normal, but they settled within moments to normal. Ty was breathing a bit more rapidly than normal but it slowed as she relaxed and turned her head heavenward to grin at the sky that was beginning to sparkle with stars. The light from the stars and the slowly rising moon that had been full two days ago caused a rainbow to sparkle off of the spray coming off the raging waters.

Ty sighed at the sight and a real smile of joy curled her lips upward. A smile that even reached her eyes, it wasn't one she commonly showed to other people. Tao had been the only one to actually see this smile until recently.

Emotion and color both drained from her face in the same instant as her whole body drooped as if exhaustion hit her.

Itachi arched one brow slightly, _What is she thinking?_

_"Summon me. We need to train together as well. I am your friend Tyrin"_ The words hit Ty like a lightning strike. Tao had been her brother and best friend, now she considered him neither. Then with Torak, Wrynstra, and Zinar sealed up her closest friends and real family was also cut off. She had been all alone...

Small ripples appeared at Ty's feet. It took Itachi several long moments to figure out that they were tears. Never before had he seen Tyrin Drachen cry, but why he couldn't understand. She'd always been different from every one else, more distant with every one save her brother. Now it seemed she had even severed ties with him. Did she cry because she was alone?

_Let me get away from the waterfall. I need to get a fair distance from the village, otherwise some one might notice the sudden rise in chakra needed for a summon_ Ty replied as she turned to walk off of the water to her clothes. She pulled on her shirt, then pants without ceremony and took off into the forest. Itachi fallowed.

Ty used more speed than she normally did, causing the Uchiha to actually have to work a bit to keep up. She stopped in a clearing that was partly hidden by a cliff and an old rock slide, Itachi still managed to hide himself in a tree where he could still watch without being seen.

Ty didn't bother to check around before biting her thumb and touching it to each of her fingers. With blood on each of her fingers Ty gathered her chakra and slapped the ground at her feet, her eye brows drawn together with concentration.

Itachi's eyes eyes widened in shock at what Ty was doing. _She's...!_

_"Summoning Jutsu!"_


	8. Kai

**Sunrunner's Fire ~ Chapter Eight ~ Kai**

_She can summon! How long has she been able to do that!?_ Itachi wondered to himself in shock as a muted 'poof' sounded and a cloud of smoke hid Ty from view. Itachi tensed as his eyes narrowed to watch as the smoke slowly began to blow away.

Whatever she had summoned was big. Really big. Without Ty sitting on it's back the creature easily reached ten feet tall at the shoulder and was powerfully built. A low rumbling growl emitted from the creature's chest as pure green eyes that had a lighter green, vertical slashed pupil opened to glow in the clearing smoke.

Itachi couldn't help but stare at the massive creature that was some sort of feline, but unlike any feline he'd ever seen or heard of. No type of cat was ten feet tall at the shoulder.

It was a medium brown that faded to white on it's underside, muzzle, and paws. Darker brown markings adorned it's sides, some were almost complete circles that had gold tinted tan fur in the middle. Fangs reaching a foot and a half in length dropped down from it's upper jaw were serrated on the inside edge. Meaning, it would deliver one hell of a bite if it got the chance.

"Kai" Tyrin said aloud as she sighed and laid down on the feline's back with her face pressed into the feline's long, soft fur.

_"What?"_ The Lioness asked as she to laid down as well, though she kept her head up and turned to the side so she could watch the entrance to their clearing. She could look at Ty as well and with a mildly curious expression.

_You said you didn't have a name_ Ty replied as she ran her fingers though the plush fur, _So I'm naming you Kai. It was the name of a heroine in a history scroll I read_ Ty concluded.

_"__Thank you"_ Kai replied with feeling as she sat up, causing Ty to slide off her back to the ground. Kai then pounced lightly on her so Ty was between her front paws and began to purr as she put her head in Ty's lap while shrinking her fangs so she wouldn't stab her mistress.

Ty giggled, and began petting the feline's head with gentle hands. She was actually a bit surprised at how soft Kai's fur was since she didn't look as soft as she felt. Ty then began to scratch Kai behind one ear as she answered her human's thoughts.

_"That happened when I borrowed your chakra to free myself from the slave collar your father put on me"_ Kai replied as she groaned aloud with pleasure as Ty's fingers found just the right spot.

"I wish you could stay with me always. I have a couple good friends, but now with Tao..." Ty sighed shaking her head sadly as she leaned the side of her face against Kai's forehead and inhaled her unique, pleasant scent of forest, fur, wind, and rain. It reminded Ty of home back when she didn't mind being home, mostly of where she and Kai had first met.

_"Oh but I can"_ Kai replied with wicked good humor as she pulled her head free and stood up. Then began to shrink.

This was no transformation justu, but a change of shape that no one would be able to detect. Kai got smaller and smaller until she was a bit smaller than the average house cat and fluffy. She was now mostly white mixed with cream and golden tan fur on her back, head, and ringing her tail that darkened to dark brown on her ears and tail tip.

Done changing she blinked large green eyes at Ty who was staring at Kai with wonder and meowed playfully(Like Kirara from InuYasha). She jumped straight onto Ty's shoulder and rubbed the side of her head against Ty's cheek affectionately, _"See? Now I can stay with yout and no one will be the wiser about my origins!"_

Kai was excited although Ty was looking at her with a bit of shock on her face, "Did _I_ know you could do that?"

Kai meowed again and began to purr as she arranged herself on Ty's shoulders so she was perched primarily on Ty's right shoulder with her tail coiled around her human's neck so it draped over her left shoulder. Obviously smug with her new trick, Kai didn't answer besides the mew.

"Hn. Guess not" Ty answered herself in good humor as she stood up. She needed to get home and get some sleep she decided as she covered a yawn and took off towards her home.

Itachi was careful not to block Ty's way or be seen by her as she left before he fallowed. Obviously this was Ty's first time summoning Kai or the cat would have been with her before this. It seemed she shared a bond with her cat the same as the Inuzuka clan did with their canine familiars. Not a bad thing since Ty was all alone otherwise. He fallowed Ty to her home and watched her enter via window before he left for his compound himself.

Tyrin Drachen was some one to watch out for...


	9. Broken Bonds

**Sunrunner's Fire ~ Chapter Nine ~ Broken Bonds**

Ty had slept on her side with her back pressed up against a pillow at her back. She was dressed simply in a black tank top and red shorts that clashed horribly with her forest green sheets.

One arm was tucked under a pillow and her chin would have rested on it if the pillow hadn't been between her face and hand. The other arm rested on her side with her hand laying on top of a small ball of white and cream fur that was Kai.

The sun was just beginning to rise and Ty began to stir as the first rays of sunlight began to peek over the ridge. She has what people would call an 'internal alarm clock,' thus she's never needed to buy a real one. The sun wasn't high enough to shine into her bedroom yet, but it wouldn't be much longer.

The hand resting on Kai twitched slightly as Ty began to stir from sleep. The feline awoke immediately in response to her partner's movement and raised her head with a yawn. Her bright green eyes focused sleepily on Ty's relaxed, peacefully sleeping face.

The eyes narrowed slightly as the feline tucked her face back at her side to go back to sleep, _If Ty is not awake then I am not awake..._

Ty stirred again, this time her whole body stretching out as she muttered some thing unintelligible. She then relaxed again, her body half curling up again as a smile found it's way onto her lips and her muttering continued a few distinguishable words, "...Friends... Itachi... Kai... Family too..."

Kai raises her head first to glare, then to simply stare as Ty finished talking. If she had been human she probably would have cried, but her emotions were different. Sadness was alien to her as a feline, as was love, happiness and many other human emotions that she had come to know and understand since knowing Ty.

_She considers me and this Itachi her only friends and family? Poor thing, but then I did see what her blood brother did to her. It makes sense she would feel this way_ Kai thought, feeling what she identified as sadness and pity but as well as a surge of love for Ty. It surprised and pleased the feline, causing a purr to blossom and grow in her small chest.

The sound fully awakens Ty as she jumps slightly and opens her eyes and looks around blinking. With her eyes still slightly clouded from sleep she finally locates Kai as the source of the sound and blinks before grinning, "Heh. I didn't even know you could purr Kai."

_"Pah. Of course I can you silly human. I __am__ a cat after all and cats purr!"_ Kai responded with good humor as she flicked her long fluffy tail as she sits up and begins to wash herself in feline fashion, _"Now I think you should make us both some breakfast."_

Ty snorted in amusement at her feline friend and got out of bed to stretch and yawn again, "Whatever you say O Mistress of mine."

Kai yowled in return before jumping off the bed and walking into the kitchen with her tail held high in victory. She jumped onto the table and sat down on one of the place mats with her tail curled around her paws and looking back at Ty gave a demanding meow.

"I'm coming, I'm coming" Ty chuckled as she fallowed and opened the refrigerator. She took out the milk and set it on the table before turning to a cabinet and pulling out two bowls and setting them on the table along with a spoon. Finally she got out the cereal.

She poured cereal in one bowl before replacing it in the cabinet then put milk in both bowls. Pulling out a chair Ty sat down and began to eat slowly, thoughtfully.

_I wonder how much time I've got until Taokishi returns..._ Ty wondered to herself.

_"You know nothing's really private any more right?"_ Kai asked as she looked up from where she had been lapping up her milk. Ty chuckled and reached over to scratch Kai behind her ears a moment.

Ty had just put the bowls in the sink when some one began pounding on her door. She jumped and cringed slightly as the pounder also began yelling, "Dammit Ty! Open the door! It's Tao!"

_Should I pretend I'm not home?_ Ty wondered as she silently approached the door. Kai on the other hand hid under the bed, _"I don't think that would be wise. He might break the door down. I'm hiding for the moment. I haven't decided if I want to make myself known or not..."_

_"You're no help"_ Ty thought sourly as she opened the door slowly and backed away, holding it open. She didn't look at her brother, instead she played meek and afraid, staring intently at the floor.

"Ty why did you move out? I was worried! Oh, and father wants you to come home. Some thing about going to mother's country for training. He expects you there by nightfall for briefing" Tao told his sister as he inspected her apartment. As he neared the bed Kai stepped out and blinked sleepily at Ty's twin before yawning.

Ty blinked in surprise along with her brother. Instead of being cream with golden tan and dark brown fur, Kai had changed again. She was now storm cloud gray mixed with gold here and there with the same long, fluffy fur that some how looked scruffy, almost dirty.

"That's the ugliest cat I've ever seen! Your new roommate Ty?" Tao asked with a grin back at Ty. Ty had gotten her face under control and offered a nod, though her face was void of expression, _"I __really__ didn't know you could do that Kai!"_

_"I know. I'll give you all my secrets... Eventually"_ Kai replied with good humor as she retreated back under the bed as if she were afraid of Tao.

"I need to start packing and get ready to leave then Taokishi. I will probably see you when I get back" Ty told her brother as she stood aside, indicating he should leave. Tao sighed and with a sad glance at Ty exited with the door being shut gently behind him.

_She wouldn't even look me in the eye... What have I done? It's all my fault. I shouldn't have lost me temper. She won't survive going north. I barely made it out, she'll never make it. Not with her power sealed up... And if I release her... Those monsters inside of her will tear me apart..._ Tao thought sadly. At first he'd been happy he was finally stronger than Tyrin, but now he regretted it more than any thing.

Now he was all alone too...


End file.
